"Wow! Such a pretty big sister! Hello, hello~!"
The childish yet lively voice made both C.C. and Seele turn toward its source.
What they saw was a cheerful little girl bouncing over in a bright red winter coat.
Klee skipped happily up to C.C. and Seele, waving with a radiant smile.
"My name's Klee! I'm the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius!"
"I ran into this little one while… ahem, clearing out some Hilichurls nearby," Kurumi explained, her graceful smile never fading as she reached out to ruffle Klee's hair. "She said she wanted to find out who caused that big explosion earlier."
Seeing no threat—just a ridiculously adorable child—Kurumi didn't take her words too seriously.
With a warm, gentle smile, C.C. studied the familiar face in front of her.
Scarlet eyes gleamed with joy, golden hair swayed with every movement like a bright, lively sun.
Her crisp, sweet voice carried a unique softness, and the pair of elf-like ears made her look even more magical—more like a fairy than an actual elf.
Such a rosy-cheeked, jewel-like little girl—who wouldn't like her?
Even someone who wasn't into cute kids would melt instantly.
(And of course, unlike Theresa, this is the kind of little girl you absolutely can't think indecent thoughts about! Anyone who does? Straight into the Mondstadt jail with them.)
"H-Hello!" Seele's voice carried a rare note of excitement.
Never in her life had anyone called her "big sister."
Even back at the orphanage, children usually called her "scaredy-cat" instead.
"Klee, right?" C.C. bent down to meet the girl's eyes, her tone soft and kind. "Did you come because of that explosion just now? Did it bother you?"
…Don't tell me this little one was fishing with bombs?
Appearing by the lake, there really wasn't any other explanation.
And Klee's reply confirmed C.C.'s suspicion.
"No, no, not at all!" Klee shook her head, leaning forward eagerly, scarlet eyes wide with excitement.
Her tiny face lit up with anticipation.
"Please tell me, big sisters, was that amazing bomb just now yours? It was incredible!"
Compared to that, her newest invention during this lockdown phase didn't even come close.
If she could learn bomb recipes from these big sisters, maybe she could make hers even stronger!
"That explosion? That was me," C.C. said, raising a finger and winking playfully. "But it wasn't a bomb."
"Eh? Not a bomb?"
Pure as always, Klee didn't doubt her for a second.
Instead, she looked disappointed, her little elf ears drooping.
But within seconds she perked right back up.
"Then… are you an alchemist like big brother Albedo?"
Looking into those bright, eager scarlet eyes, C.C. felt a strange warmth stir in her chest.
See? Even a child like Klee understands the importance of learning.
Meanwhile, Seele and Kurumi—one a Herrscher of the Current Era, the other in training—could hardly focus on their studies at all.
In Teyvat, "natural science" was represented by alchemy—the study of the essence of matter and its laws of change, ultimately seeking to uncover the rules of the world and the flow of ley lines.
At such a young age, Klee could already create new bombs and even help Amber improve Baron Bunny.
Explosions… yes, C.C. had once been fascinated by them.
As someone with "firepower deficiency anxiety," she'd thrown herself into the pursuit of human civilization's arts the moment she gained the Herrscher of Reason's power.
But now? Ordinary "art" wasn't enough to pose a challenge anymore.
If she really encountered a planet-level Honkai beast in the Honkai Impact world, or the collapse consciousness itself bent on wiping out humanity, even the strongest nuke would barely scratch them.
At higher levels of battle, simple explosive art wasn't enough.
Of course, the path of art never ends.
Once she fully unraveled the Second Herrscher's spatial powers, she would reach the realm of dimensions, universes, and worlds themselves.
If you can reach them, you can affect them. And if you can affect them, you can harness them.
Looking at the passion burning in Klee's eyes, C.C. couldn't help but remember her "classroom days" at St. Freya—dozing off alongside Bronya.
Well… Bronya was the only one actually asleep. C.C. had been busy devouring advanced physics texts in the Schicksal database.
Smiling softly at the eager little girl, C.C. said gently, "You could say I'm something like an alchemist."
After all, though the surface rules of the Honkai world and Teyvat were different, both were still leaves on the same Imaginary Tree.
And before she even began her analysis, C.C. had already taken a "peek" at the elemental powers flowing through Teyvat.
With enough knowledge as a foundation, this sort of thing wasn't difficult at all.
"Really? Yay, that's great!"
Klee's face lit up with delight at C.C.'s reassuring answer.
"Then… big sister, will you be Klee's friend?"
Her tiny hands tugged gently at the green-haired girl's sleeve, scarlet eyes shimmering with a pleading light.
That soft, adorable expression replayed a scene in C.C.'s mind that had once been burned almost into her DNA—
'Please, please, please say yes!'
Even the coldest heart would melt at such a look.
Still, even after Klee begged for over an hour once, Nagami hadn't spent a single cent on gacha rolls.
After all, for a born "lucky draw king," spending money on pulls was an insult—you just use the free gems and win anyway.
"Big sister, do you need help with anything? Klee is really strong, you know!"
Klee puffed out her chest proudly, tilting her chin up with confidence.
"Oh my, Klee-chan, why do you say it like that?"
Kurumi's gaze turned sharp, eyeing C.C. with suspicion.
Was she really putting on this "big sister" act just to charm the little girl?
'This time, definitely not allowed.'
If Nagami ever dared to harbor improper thoughts about this precious child, Kurumi swore she'd make sure neither he nor C.C. would ever get out of bed again.
Among all the girls close to Nagami, Kurumi was the only one who could say something like that with authority.
"Because brother Kaeya says good friends should always help each other! And Captain Jean also says we should repay people who help us," Klee answered brightly.
"So, if I become friends with big sister, and I help her first, then she'll help me improve my Jumpy Dumpty bombs!"
"...Jumpy Dumpty?"
Seele blinked in surprise.
She and Kurumi exchanged a glance before both turned back toward the little red-clad girl with bafflement.
Was this child seriously treating bombs like toys?
"Mhm! Jumpy Dumpty!"
Nodding happily, Klee pulled a red doll from her backpack and held it up proudly like a treasure.
"This one! But… its power is way weaker than the explosion big sister made…"
Who would've guessed this sweet, well-mannered little girl was actually a bomb maniac!?
Kurumi and Seele could both sense the faint energy inside the doll. Faint only compared to their standards—an ordinary person hit by it wouldn't stand a chance.
"You want me to help improve your bomb? …No problem!"
C.C. had been about to refuse.
After all, Miss Lumine was on good terms with Captain Jean, which meant Klee was practically family.
Helping her make new bomb recipes was the same as giving the Knights of Favonius more headaches.
And C.C. wasn't the type to sabotage friends.
But then Klee looked up at her with those big pleading eyes—the kind of "true damage" no defense could block.
Faced with such cuteness, she had no resistance at all.
So, C.C. raised the flag of little girl-protection high.
"There's no need for Klee to help me. Lumine and I are very close friends, so let's call this my way of repaying you for helping her in adventures before."
That sly Lumine… she hadn't even spared little Klee. Not only was Klee adorable, her bombs could easily blow up Abyss Mages or Hilichurls.
Thorns in the way? Blow them up.
A puzzle mechanism? Blow it up.
A locked chest? Blow it up.
In reality, Klee was even stronger than in the game—no wonder Lumine had made her the number one "adventure assistant" in Mondstadt. And the best part? She was young and easy to trick.
When Nagami first peeked into Lumine's thoughts and saw this, he nearly spat in disbelief. Shameless. Truly shameless.
"So C.C. big sister knows the Honorary Knight too? She hasn't come to play with Klee for so long… I miss her, and little Paimon too!"
For Klee, adventuring with Lumine had been so much fun.
With Paimon tagging along, it had been some of the happiest times she'd ever had.
Her scarlet eyes sparkled with childlike innocence, making C.C. feel a stab of guilt… laced with a strange, almost pleasant warmth.
In that moment, she completely understood Lumine's feelings.
"Let me see this Jumpy Dumpty."
"Careful, C.C. big sister!"
Without Klee's Pyro energy to stabilize it, the thing was dangerously volatile—touch it wrong, and it would go off.
"Don't worry. It won't explode."
Pale, delicate fingers glowed faintly as Honkai energy—tinged with love for its wielder—flowed into the bomb.
Klee's bombs came in two types: one purely alchemical, and another blending alchemy with elemental Pyro.
As for raw power… it was hard to say.
Breaking down the Jumpy Dumpty with Honkai energy, C.C.'s knowledge quickly revealed ways to optimize it.
Now, what materials would be needed…?
Through Nagami, she dove directly into Lumine's memories, rifling through lists of alchemy ingredients and their properties.
"Got it. Klee, you can try this instead—"
Seele and Kurumi glanced at each other, watching the mood shift from "playful big sister teasing a little girl" to a full-blown academic discussion on alchemy and bomb design.
Almost unconsciously, they both took a step back.